A variety of connectors have been developed for communication media, especially in the case of more damage-prone media such as optical fibers, to simplify connection of the media and protect the media from damage. Connectors may also enhance the quality of a connection by reducing signal losses and noise at interfaces between the communication media. For example, angled connectors may be employed for optical fibers to protect an end of the fiber, while also providing an angled end face. The angled end face may generally minimize transmission signal return losses, such as by reducing back reflection in optical signals.
Known connectors, including angled connectors, typically must be engaged and disengaged individually due to their unique features. For example, connectors defining angled end faces must generally be aligned and connected individually to ensure a proper alignment with a similarly angled interface. Accordingly, connectors may be cumbersome to use in environments where a large number of connections are employed, such as to provide a signal from a central office to a large number of end users. Such environments are common, e.g., for large office buildings, apartment buildings, hotels, or any geographically-based groups of customers or end users. The connectors are similarly cumbersome in testing or laboratory environments that replicate real-life conditions and field environments.
Accordingly, there is a need for more efficient systems and methods to provide robust connections between communication media, while improving the ease of engaging and disengaging communication media.